Dear friends,
Buddhists and Hindus have no reason to grieve because everything is karma; their teaching says you earn every suffering you get. Atheists and agnostics have nowhere to turn, because life is just what it is.The God of Islam is “ineffable” and thus you should just take whatever Allah gives.
But Christians grieve. We grieve because the world is not as God intended. We grieve because this is not how the world will one day be. We grieve like Jesus grieved over Jerusalem, with tears, and petitions, and cries of hope. We grieve because God is listening. We grieve because God cares. We grieve because our God is personal, available, and present. Even when He feels hidden, and far, and absent, He remains slow to anger and abounding in love. He does not slumber nor sleep. Today may feel dark, cold, and empty, but take heart, Good Friday precedes Resurrection Sunday. There is darkness before dawn, a cross before a crown, pain before praise, a fallen world before a perfect heaven. Jesus struck the decisive blow against sin, death and the devil on the Cross; victory is certain, even if it feels slow. Be strong and take heart, and wait patiently for the LORD.
Items of note:
1) We will hold another Online Facebook Live Worship Service this Sunday @9:30AM. (Audio and video will be posted later on Sunday to our website). Those with Facebook accounts can say “hello” to people in the comments section, post questions, and shoot out prayer requests. (You can download the service bulletin with song lyrics below; we will attempt to have the lyrics on screen this week too.) https://www.facebook.com/cornerstoneefca/
2) Will will hold another Church Family Encouragement and Prayer service next Friday, April 3, @6:30PM. Details in this Google Document.
3) Most likely we will Facebook Live Stream our Good Friday Service with Northbrook Baptist Church @6PM on April 10th.
4) Here’s a word of encouragement from Pastor Matt via YouTube from yesterday: https://youtu.be/yvlz4vVQeLY
5) Reminder: All Cornerstone and Covid-19 related announcements and encouragements are collated on this site: https://cornerstone-marion.org/wordpress/about-us/cornerstone-social-distancing-resources/
Take heart, Jesus is risen and reigning.
-Pastor Matt
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